MATTHEW 12:33-37
Matthew 12:33-37
33. Either make the tree good, and its fruit good: or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for
the tree is known by the fruit. 34. Offspring of vipers, how can you speak what is good, when you
are bad? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35. A good man, out of the
good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth what is good, and a bad man, out of the bad treasure,
bringeth forth what is evil. 36. But I say to you, That men will give account, at the day of judgment,
for every idle word which they shall have spoken. 37. For by thy words thou shalt be justified,
and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
33.Either make the tree good It might look like absurdity, that men should be allowed a choice
of being either good or bad; but if we consider what sort of persons Christ is addressing, the
133 “Voire s’i1 est possible de tant souffler la glace, qu’on la face flamber ;” — “that is, if it be possible to blow upon the ice
in such a manner as to produce a flame.”
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difficulty will be speedily resolved. We know what opinion was generally entertained about the
Pharisees; for their pretended sanctity had so blinded the minds of the common people, that no one
ventured to pass sentence on their vices. 134 Wishing to remove this mask, Christ desires them to
be either good or bad ; or, in other words, declares that nothing is more inconsistent with honesty
than hypocrisy, and that it is in vain for men to boast of pretensions to righteousness who are not
sincere and upright. 135 So then he puts nothing at their disposal, and withdraws no restraint from
them, but only reminds them that their empty professions will avail them nothing so long as they
are double, because they must be either good or bad
From the expression, make the tree, some foolishly infer, that it is in every man’s power to
regulate his own life and conduct. It is a rhetorical mode of speaking, by which Christ points out
the scribes, dispels—so to speak—the smoke of their hypocrisy, and recalls them to pure and
genuine uprightness. He afterwards explains the way and manner in which they may show that they
are good or bad trees; which is by yielding good or bad fruit: so that there is no ambiguity in the
meaning. The life of the scribes was not rendered infamous among men by gross vices. Pride,
ambition, and envy, displayed their venom in the slanders which they uttered; but as that venom
was not perceived by ignorant people, Christ brings the concealed evil from its lurking-place, and
drags it forth to light.
But perhaps it will be objected that, in consequence of the corruption of our nature, it is
impossible to find any man who is altogether upright, and free from every vice. The answer is
ready. Christ does not demand absolute and entire perfection, but only a sincere and unfeigned
disposition, which the Pharisees whom he addresses were far from possessing. As Scripture applies
the terms, bad and wicked, to those who are completely given up to Satan, so the sincere worshippers
of God, though they are encompassed by the infirmity of their flesh and by many sins, and groan
under the burden, are called good. This arises from the undeserved kindness of God, who bestows
so honorable a designation on those who aim at goodness.
- Offspring of vipers. The similarity between the tree and the fruit is here applied by Christ
to nothing more than speech, because this afforded an opportunity of detecting the inward and
concealed malice of the scribes; and that is the reason why he dwells so much on this one kind of
sin. It is because their falsehood and slanders betrayed what was not so visible in the rest of their
life, that Christ attacks them with such severity. “There is no reason to wonder,” he says, “that you
vomit out wicked words; for your heart is full of malice.” Nor are we to suppose that he ought to
have treated them with greater gentleness, because some might regard this reproof as excessively
severe. There are other sins, no doubt, that call for harsh reproofs; but when hypocritical persons
pervert what is right, or put a false coloring on what is sinful, such wickedness renders it necessary
that God should thunder against it in a more terrible manner than against other sins.
Now the design of Christ, suggested by the present occurrence, was to condemn the wicked
sophistry which turns light into darkness. This passage shows how highly valuable in the sight of
the Lord truth is, since he maintains and defends it with such rigor. Would that this were earnestly
considered by those persons, whose ingenuity is too ready to be employed in defending any cause,
and whose venal tongue disguises impostures! In a particular manner, Christ waxes wroth against
134 “Que nul n’osoit parler de leurs vices, et les condamner ;” — “that none dared to speak of their vices, or to condemn them.”
135 “Lesquels ne vont point rondement, et n’ont une affection droite ;” — “who do not go straight forward, and have not an
upright disposition.”
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those whom ambition, or envy, or some other fraudulent design, prompts to slander, even when
there is nothing that their conscience condemns. Against the Pharisees, too, as his custom was,
Christ used greater harshness, because they were so captivated by an unfounded conviction of their
righteousness, that an ordinary warning had no effect upon them. And till hypocrites are sharply
pierced, 136 all that is said to them is treated with scorn and contempt.
How can you speak what is good? We have formerly hinted, that proverbial sayings ought not
to be rigidly interpreted as an invariable rule, for they state nothing more than the ordinary fact.
Sometimes, no doubt, a cruel man will deceive the simple by honied flatteries, a cunning man will
cheat under the garb of simplicity, and a man of very wicked thoughts will breathe almost angelical
purity of language. 137 But the ordinary practice demonstrates the truth of what Christ here says,
that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh; agreeably to the old proverb, which
declared the tongue to be the index of the mind. 138 And, indeed, whatever hidden and crooked
recesses may exist in the heart of man, and whatever may be the amazing contrivances by which
every man conceals his vices, yet the Lord extorts from each of them some kind of confession, so
that they discover by the tongue their natural disposition and hidden feelings. We must also observe
the purpose for which Christ employs those parables; for he reproaches the Pharisees with having
manifested by words the malice which they had inwardly conceived. Besides, knowing them to be
sworn enemies, he takes occasion from, single calumny to expose their whole life, and to destroy
their credit with the people, which gave them too great influence in deceiving and in doing mischief.
Though good speeches do not always proceed from the inmost heart, but originate (as the phrase
is) on the tip of the tongue, yet it is an invariable truth, that bad speeches are indications of a bad
heart.
36.Of every idle word This is an argument from the less to the greater; for if every idle word
is to be called in question, how would God spare the open blasphemies and sacrilegious insolence
of those who bark against his glory? 139 An idle word means one that is useless, or that yields no
edification or advantage. Many look upon this as too severe; 140 but if we consider the purpose for
which our tongues were made, we will acknowledge, that those men are justly held guilty who
unthinkingly devote them to trifling fooleries, and prostitute them to such a purpose. It is no light
fault to abuse, for frivolous purposes, the time, which Paul enjoins us to be careful to redeem,
(Ephesians 5:16 ; Colossians 4:5 .)
Now since no man is so cautious in speech, or maintains such a wise restraint upon himself, as
never to allow some idle words to escape him, there remains for all of us absolute despair, if the
Lord should treat us with rigor. But as the confident hope of our salvation rests on the assurance
that God will not enter into judgment with us, ( Psalm 143:2 ,) but will bury in gracious forgetfulness
the sins which deserve innumerable deaths, 141 we entertain no doubt that, when he removes the
condemnation of our whole life, he will likewise pardon the guilt of idle talking. When the judgment
136 “Iusques a ce qu’ils sentent qu’on le poigne a bon escient ;” — “till they feel that they are pierced in good earnest.”
137 “Il semblera, a l’ouir parler, qu’il ait une purete Angelique ;” — “to hear him speak, you would imagine that he has the
purity of an Angel.”
138 “Comme aussi le proverbe ancien portoit, Que la langue est le charactere ou pourtrait du coeur ;” — “as also the old proverb
bore, That the tongue is the type or portrait of the heart.”
139 “Qui abbayent contre sa gloire, comme chiens mastins ;” — “who bark against his glory, like mastiff-dogs.”
140 “Ceci semble a plusieurs estre trop extreme et rigoureux ;”— “this appears to many to be too extreme and rigorous.”
141 “Qui meritent dix mille morts ;” — “which deserve ten thousand deaths.”
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of God is mentioned in Scripture, it does not in any way set aside the forgiveness of sins. And yet
let no man indulge himself, but let every man earnestly endeavor to bridle his tongue, (James 1:26 .)
First, let us speak of the sacred mysteries of God with the utmost reverence and sobriety; secondly,
let us abstain from talkativeness, buffoonery, and vain jests, and much more from slanderous attacks;
and, lastly, let us endeavor to have our speech seasoned with salt, (Colossians 4:6 .)
37.By thy words thou shalt be justified This was a common proverb, which he applied to the
present subject; for I have no doubt that this was a saying which the people had frequently in their
mouths, that “every man is condemned or acquitted by his own acknowledgment.” But Christ turns
it to a meaning somewhat different, that a wicked speech, being the indication of concealed malice,
is enough to condemn a man. The attempt which the Papists make to torture this passage, so as to
set aside the righteousness of faith, is childish. A man is justified by his words, not because his
speech is the ground of his justification, (for we obtain by faith the favor of God, so that he reckons
us to be righteous persons;) but because pure speech142 absolves us in such a manner, that we are
not condemned as wicked persons by our tongue. Is it not absurd to infer from this, that men deserve
a single drop of righteousness in the sight of God? On the contrary, this passage upholds our doctrine;
for, although Christ does not here treat of the ground of our justification, yet the contrast between
the two words points out the meaning of the word justify. The Papists reckon it absurd in us to say,
that a man is justified by faith, because they explain the word justified to mean, that he becomes,
and is, actually righteous; while we understand it to mean, that he is accounted righteous, and is
acquitted before the tribunal of God, as is evident from numerous passages of Scripture. And is
not the same thing confirmed by Christ, when he draws a contrast between justified and condemned?
